Volume 11, Issue 2
January 14, 2011

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FUNDS FOR WRITERS

Writer's Digest's 101 Best Websites for Writers
2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

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Our subscriber list is NOT made available to others. Use
information listed at your own risk. FundsforWriters gives
no warranty to completeness, accuracy, or fitness of the
markets, contests and grants although research is done to
the best of our ability.

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PAID SPONSOR OF THE WEEK
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EDITOR'S THOUGHTS
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Read newsletter online at: http://www.fundsforwriters.com/FFW.htm
Read past issues at: http://www.aweber.com/z/article/?fundsforwriters

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DON'T FOOL YOURSELF

Writing talent isn't something you're born with. You might
like it more than the person next to you, but you weren't
birthed ready to pen a bestselling tome. Writing is work.
There's nothing accidental about it, and the sooner you
understand that, the sooner you'll tackle a realistic
writing venture - with less disappointment.

I've counseled people who've decided to do an about-face
and write. They've decided to do what they love for a
change. My concern is, have they been writing all along and
just now took it serious? Or have they decided they like
the idea of writing and want to take up the craft?

Either is admirable. However, writing becomes worthy,
improves, and grows only with use, critique and study. It
doesn't just happen. A writer isn't an actress discovered
beside a dime store soda fountain by a Hollywood director.
A writer earns his way, starting at the bottom and working
up. These days many decide that when they are going to
write, that means publish. Who wants to write and not
publish? However, writing isn't synonymous with publishing.
Publishing is what you do once you've learned how to write.

With practice, study, review and repetition, a voice takes
root. You aren't born with voice. It evolves with each
word you pen. You don't look for it. You don't develop
a plan and create it. It comes with the confidence of telling
a story, after many attempts and a lot of backing up and
starting over.

I'm often asked in conferences or online chats, "If you
could give one piece of advice to writers, what would
it be?" Without a doubt, it would be to write more
and publish slowly. I've seen too many people hurt by
doing the opposite.

When someone asks for a consult with me, I always ask
for their educational, publishing and writing background.
Some have never published, yet are writing a book they
think is the next King, Rowling, Clancy or Patterson.
I admire their determination. But then I wonder how
many realize that they are talking about a multi-year
venture? Most don't. I can usually tell which ones are
deceiving themselves. I always pray I'm wrong.

I want you to succeed. I want to see your name on the
top 100 lists, the top 10 lists, the bestseller lists.
Who doesn't love seeing people they know rise to the
top? But it pains me to see people sabotage their
writing future by writing one piece then decide it
can be published without an editor, without rewrites,
without critique.

Coca Cola and Kentucky Fried Chicken didn't become
household names using the first formulas they tried.
It wasn't until after following countless tests that they
found a flavor the public loved. Cologne, clothes,
cars, recipes and architecture are all the same. The
first, second, or even third drafts are just steps in
a journey. That way the end result is more predictable,
more likely to win consumer approval.

Practice makes perfect.

     Hope

RETURN TO THE SCENE OF THE CRIME! 

Cape Fear Crime Festival                  

Wilmington, North Carolina               

February 5, 2011      

www.capefearcrimefestival2.com

Hope will be presenting a session. Come visit!

 

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THE BLOG - http://www.hopeclark.blogspot.com

TWITTER - http://twitter.com/hopeclark

FACEBOOK - http://www.facebook.com/chopeclark

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WORDS OF SUCCESS

"Without promotion something terrible happens. . . Nothing!"

~P.T. Barnum

 
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SUCCESS OF THE WEEK
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We accept success stories from our readers who have used
the newsletter to find an open door. Send us yours to
hope@fundsforwriters.com

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ARTICLE
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Start your engines, rev it up and....slow it down?
By Kristine Meldrum Denholm

When was the last time you languished over a sentence...and
loved every dangling participle of it?

The slow movement is a philosophy embraced by people who want
do everything as well as possible, not as quick as possible.
There's a slow movement afoot in food, education, parenting,
even slow sex (think quality over quantity) amidst a population
who thinks fast food isn't fast enough, "friends" are made in
a click, and speed dating can be done over the phone. "Slow,"
though, is about savoring, finding the "right" speed for you. 
But with a technological revolution occurring in nanoseconds,
can a freelance writer--who's researching and querying hundreds
of markets-- or an aspiring author, who's querying hundreds of
agents and publishers ---work slowly, yet still be successful?
Can the slow movement apply to us and still find us on the
bestseller list?

Carl Honoré, author of Praise of Slow: How a Worldwide Movement
Is Challenging the Cult of Speed, says we can have a slow
writing life.

Honoré toyed with buying One-Minute Bedtime Stories-- Snow White
in 60 seconds. "Suddenly it hit me: my rushaholism has gotten so out
of hand that I'm even willing to speed up those precious moments
with my children....living in fast forward is not really living at
all."

"We are addicted to speed, to cramming more into every minute.
Every moment...feels like a race against the clock, a dash to a
finish line that we never seem to reach." This roadrunner culture
takes its toll on our health and relationships, Honoré says.

Being "slow" is not about scooting off to the Bahamas with acute
writers block and Buffett tunes. It's about taking your time and
focusing. But how?

"You have to unplug and create sacred time for thinking and
writing," Honoré says.

As writers, how do we reach our goals when we're busy marketing,
querying, mentoring, blogging, reading about writing, going to
conferences, not to mention writing?

"I think it's all about striking a balance. Sure, you have to
research editors and agents, and you have to network, blog, read...
But you can only do so much of these things before entering the
stage of diminishing returns," he asserts. "Be disciplined enough
to decide how much time and energy you are giving these activities."

So we can really slow down, when we must market constantly, like
a (computer) mouse on speed?

"Yes, you need to put yourself out there. But ...you cannot be
everywhere all of the time. Think hard about the best ways to
developing your profile, and focus on those-and let everything
else fall by the wayside."

A fancy name for prioritizing?

Linda Formichelli, a freelance writer and teacher, thinks the
slow movement is just about prioritizing. "Do you want to whip
out a 15-minute article for a content mill, or would you rather
slow down and do a spectacular job for a better-paying market?
Would you rather check e-mail 100 times per day in hopes an editor
will get back to you, or read a book or play with your kids?"
Formichelli now works two days a week instead of five. "It's not
so much I'm savoring the writing as I'm savoring my life OUTSIDE
of writing. I have a 17-month-old son and...my priorities shifted...
although I'm not the powerhouse I used to be, I still have plenty
of work."

Writing coach John Ettorre suggests: "You also need to do what
farmers do, which is crop rotation. If you're trying to get beets
or carrots out of the same plot of land for 30 years without a
rest or rotation to other items, each year the harvest yields
less," he says. So you try your hand at different types of writing--
maybe a book instead of small articles-- in your quest to smell
the proverbial roses.

Besides, "there's really no 'fast track' when it comes to writing,"
author and teacher Christina Katz advises. "Goodness knows how
many years you'll need to invest before you're ready to write a
book in the first place. Anyone in a huge rush might want to look
to another career choice."

After all, she says, "slow and steady is how all the writers I
know succeed."
 
SIDEBAR:
4 Ways Writers Can Slow Down Now

=>Disconnect. Log off the Web for fixed periods.
=>Turn off the music. Try silence.
=>Consider an office away from home. Let your office be your
  signal it's time to work.
=>Set aside a time to let your mind wander. Take a walk.
  Visit the dog. Let your ideas marinate.

BIO
Kristine Meldrum Denholm is published in magazines, newspapers,
two books and online. Read her feature article in Police Magazine
on the unsolved 1965 civil rights case. Check out her latest
articles in Cleveland Family, Akron Family and Lake Family
magazines at www.neohiofamily.com . www.KristineMeldrumDenholm.com

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COMPETITIONS
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GEMINI MAGAZINE SHORT STORY CONTEST
http://www.gemini-magazine.com/contest.html
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$4 ENTRY FEE
Gemini Magazine is pleased to announce its 2011 Short Story
Contest featuring a grand prize of $1,000. Absolutely no
restrictions on content, style, genre or length--just send
your best. Second place wins $100 and there will also be
three honorable mentions. All five finalists will be published
in the June 2011 issue. Deadline: March 31, 2011.

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THE PINCH LITERARY AWARDS
http://www.thepinchjournal.com
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$20 ENTRY FEE
A prize of $1,000 and publication in the Pinch is given annually
for a single poem; Jeffrey McDaniel will judge. A prize of $1,500
and publication in the Pinch is given annually for a short story;
Rick Bass will judge. Submit up to three poems or a story of up
to 5,000 words with a $20 entry fee ($10 for each additional entry),
which includes a one-year subscription to the Pinch, by March 15,
2011. The Pinch, Literary Awards, English Department, University
of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152-6176. (901) 678-4591. Kristen Iversen,
Editor in Chief.

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LORIAN HEMINGWAY SHORT FICTION CONTEST
http://www.shortstorycompetition.com/guidelines.php
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$15 ENTRY FEE
The first-place winner will receive $1,500. The second and
third-place winners will receive $500 each. Honorable mentions
will also be awarded to entrants whose work demonstrates promise.
Stories must be original unpublished fiction, typed and double-
spaced, and may not exceed 3,500 words in length. We have
extended our word limit for the first time in thirty years to
3,500 words rather than 3,000. There are no theme or genre
restrictions. Copyright remains property of the author.
The literary competition is open to all U.S. and international
writers whose fiction has not appeared in a nationally
distributed publication with a circulation of 5,000 or more.
Deadline May 1, 2011.

 
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GRANTS
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NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS LITERATURE FELLOWSHIPS
http://www.nea.gov/grants/apply/Lit/index.html
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The NEA Literature Fellowships program offers $25,000 grants
in prose (fiction and creative nonfiction) and poetry to
published creative writers that enable the recipients to set
aside time for writing, research, travel, and general career
advancement. The NEA Literature Fellowships program operates
on a two-year cycle with fellowships in prose and poetry
available in alternating years. For FY 2012, which is covered
by these guidelines, fellowships in prose are available. 
Fellowships in poetry will be offered in FY 2013 and guidelines
will be available in January 2012. Individuals may apply only
once each year. Direct questions to the Literature staff at
202/682-5034 or e-mail LitFellowships@arts.gov . Applicants
may use digital, audio, or online publications to establish
up to fifty percent of their eligibility, provided that such
publications have competitive selection processes and stated
editorial policies. Works where the writer paid for publication
are not eligible in the qualifying process.

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WYOMING GRANTS FOR INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS/WRITERS
http://wyoarts.state.wy.us/Artists/Index.aspx
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The Wyoming Arts Council provides opportunities for individual
artists in the form of fellowships, apprenticeships and
Individual Artist Professional Development (IAPD) grants.
The WAC offers fellowships in creative writing, performing
arts and visual arts. It also oversees the Neltje Blanchan
and Frank Nelson Doubleday Memorial Writing Awards. Folk and
Traditional Arts Apprenticeships are available to master
traditional artists to teach their art form to qualified
apprentices.

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WEST VIRGINIA NEW OPPORTUNITIES for ARTISTS
http://www.wvculture.org/arts/grants.html
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The Arts Section is expanding opportunities offered to artists.
The Artist Database serves as a listing of artists in West
Virginia. The Teaching Artists Roster lists artists who are
skilled in both their artistic discipline and as instructors.
NOTE: Artists previously listed on the Arts in Education Roster
will need to apply to the Teaching Artist Roster. The
Demonstrating Artists Roster consists of talented and
professional artists reviewed and approved by WVDCH and the
WVCA according to relative criteria. These Rosters will be
published and made available as a resource across the state.
Artists are paid via grants made to schools and other
institutions that make request for these artists for their
educational and community purposes.
 

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FREELANCE MARKETS
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HERIZONS
http://www.herizons.ca/node/336
---
Herizons aims to reflect a feminist philosophy that is diverse
and relevant to women's daily lives. The purpose of Herizons
is to empower women; to inspire hope and foster a state of
wellness that enriches women's lives; to build awareness of
issues as they affect women; to foster a spirit of cooperation;
to promote the strength, wisdom and creativity of women; to
broaden the boundaries of feminism to include building
coalitions and support among other marginalized peoples; to
foster peace and ecological awareness and to expand the
influence of feminist principles in the world. Herizons is
a non-profit organization based in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada.
Pays 25 cents/word.

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ROCK & GEM MAGAZINE
http://rockngem.com/writers-guidelines/
---
Rock & Gem is the leading magazine for rockhounding and
lapidary hobbyists. Readers are also the greatest editorial
contributors. Their goal is to provide informative and entertaining
articles and to draw new people into the hobby. Feature length:
2,000 to 3,000 words. How-to length: 800 to 1,000 words.

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VERBATIM
http://www.verbatimmag.com/writers.html
---
VERBATIM is published for popular consumption. That does
not mean that it does not publish articles on language that
are scholarly, merely that it is not designed to appeal
primarily to academicians (though many subscribe). VERBATIM
publishes original articles dealing with any aspect of
language.

I look for articles that explain and illuminate without
being condescending; that are funny; that are moving; that
are fascinating; that are less than 3,000 words; that are
all of the above. I sometimes strong-arm learned professors
into writing about their areas of expertise, and I accept
unsolicited manuscripts from people with no academic
credentials at all. Payment is made at the time of publication,
and ranges from $25 to $500, depending on length, wit, and
other merit.

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JOBS
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EDITORIAL ASSOCIATE
Location New York, NY
http://www.idealist.org/view/job/b7S77NfgpGW4/
---
Incumbent aids in maintaining currency and accuracy of
integrated database information on the foundations in assigned
dataset through updating, editing, and proofing information
as necessary. Additional duties include collecting information
on newly created foundations through searching web sites,
source documents, and contact with the grantmakers, updating
the appropriate profiles.

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GREEN BUILDING WRITER
http://www.greatgreencareers.com/career/26543/Green-Building-Writer-Various
---
Green Education Foundation (GEF) is seeking experienced and
talented science writers to complete online text resource for
a national 11th/12th grade hybrid online course in green building.
GEF is launching its Green Building Course in partnership with
the USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council) and in alignment with
its LEED certification process. Write content for virtual text,
which integrates a focus on green building and is aligned with
the USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council) guidelines. Revise and
edit previously developed content to meet standards outlined by
project manager. GEF is currently seeking writers who have the
knowledge and expertise to focus on the following areas:

Materials and Resources
Sustainable Sites and Landscape
Environmental Quality

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PUBLISHERS/AGENTS
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SULLIVAN MAXX LITERARY AGENCY
http://sullivanmaxx.com/
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Represents regional fiction, historical, women's fiction,
mystery, science fiction and fantasy, children's books.
Location NC.

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ASHLEY GRAYSON LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/CGrayson/
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The Ashley Grayson Literary Agency is a full service literary
agency for authors of both fiction and non-fiction books. 
Does not handle screenplays, television projects or stage plays. 
Both of the principals, Ashley Grayson and Carolyn Grayson are
members of the AAR. Represents literary and commercial fiction,
as well as non-fiction for adults (self-help, parenting, pop
culture, mind/body/spirit, true crime, business, science).
Also represents fiction for younger readers (chapter books
through YA). Seeking more mysteries and thrillers.

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GREYHAUS LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.greyhausagency.com/
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Located in the Puget Sound region of Washington State, Greyhaus
Literary Agency focuses their efforts to the promotion of the
romance writing genre as well as the improvement of writing
in general.

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SPONSORS
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AWARD-WINNING WRITER, PUBLISHER
WILL EDIT YOUR NOVEL, MEMOIR, POETRY

Have your writing edited by an award-winning, professional
writer, editor, and publisher, one who knows how to help
you prepare your writing for publication.  Richard Krawiec
has published novels, biographies, text books, plays, and
a story and poetry collection.  He won the 2009 Excellence
in Teaching Award from UNC Chapel Hill. His essays, feature
articles, and reviews have appeared in major newspapers and
magazines across the US. The NY Times, LA Times, Publishers
Weekly have reviewed his work. Awards include National
Endowment for the Arts and NC Arts Council grants, as well
as nominations for the National Book Award, Best American
Short Stories, and Pushcart Prize. He is founder of Jacar Press.

WHY ADVERTISE IN FUNDSFORWRITERS?

For my first advertising for my fledging business I needed to
make strategic choices within a very limited budget. I chose
to advertise in two places:  the Funds for Writers (FFW)
newsletter and a major writer's magazine (circulation of 100,000).
FFW far outperformed the magazine! From my first FFW ad I got an
immediate and enormous spike in traffic to my web site and within
24-hours had more than 100 people sign up on my website. And that
was just the first ad! Over the course of the six-week ad campaign
I saw a noticeable spike in traffic after each ad hit people's
inboxes and in total garnered at least 500 new sign-ups.

If you're thinking about advertising in FFW, do it!
    
Joan Dempsey, Founder & President
http://www.literaryliving.com

MARKETS PLUS: 2500 WRITING MARKETS

For 10 years Worldwide Freelance has been helping freelance
writers to find paying markets. Search or browse the free
database of 750+ markets. Or join Markets Plus and you will
have 2500+ markets at your fingertips.

http://www.worldwidefreelance.com

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http://www.fundsforwriters.com/adrates.htm 

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BUSINESS STUFF
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C. Hope Clark
E-mail: hope@fundsforwriters.com

140-A Amicks Ferry Road #4
Chapin, SC 29036

http://www.fundsforwriters.com
Copyright 2000-2011, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326

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